So six months or so ago I forgot to fill up the rinse agent dispenser in the dishwasher. It was empty for about a week when I realized it. Things weren't getting as clean but the glasses in particular looked like crap. A white coating of something on them that hand washing wasn't removing. I've been making sure that damn little dispenser thingy has been topped up full for the past six months and guess what? The dishes still look and feel like crap. So I thought that maybe the dishwasher was breaking and I started looking stuff up online.

My dishwasher is just peachy but the greenies have done it again, as uncle has banned phosphate in dish detergents. Well color me in the dark on this one. Phosphate was the main cleaning ingredient in dish washing soap. They banned it from laundry detergents back in the 90's. I always thought it was my machine putting little holes in the clothes. Think again.

Now I'm all for keeping pollution down to as little impact on the environment as possible. BUT . . . why did they ban it when there is no substitute for it? I'm now using more energy and water to clean my dishes because now things will have to be wash and/or rewashed in vinegar/hot water/dish soap to try and get the film off. Hand washing uses more energy than a dish washer. And my time isn't worth shit to uncle so I won't even bother mentioning that.

1). Run the sink to rinse dishes or wash pots before starting unit. This insures your first fill will be hot water, not ice cold. It will keep the water in the unit cleaner too. Newer dishwashers can monitor the debris in the water and extend wash time, so will poor temperatures.

2). Make sure that you do not block the wash arm from turning, you may have 2 or 3.

#0. Inspect the wash arms, make sure they are not damaged or split. You can also test them by letting the unit fill and start to run, open the door and look at the position of the wash arms, move them to the 12:00 position if you want, close the door and let it run for 5 to 7 seconds, open the door and see if any of the wash arms moved. If any did, good. On some units they all move simultaneously, on some they alternate. You can run it for 5 minutes or until it starts the first drain, see if they all moved. If wash arms don't move, the issue can be not enough water in the fill, or a clogged filter screen that effects the pump. You would need service then. You can check the heater by getting it into the dry cycle to see if the heater works, don't burn yourself. There are things that you can buy like "Dishwasher Magic" That will help flush out the system. here may be other issues with the DW that can cause these symptoms too. I hope this was helpful.

So six months or so ago I forgot to fill up the rinse agent dispenser in the dishwasher. It was empty for about a week when I realized it. Things weren't getting as clean but the glasses in particular looked like crap. A white coating of something on them that hand washing wasn't removing. I've been making sure that damn little dispenser thingy has been topped up full for the past six months and guess what? The dishes still look and feel like crap. So I thought that maybe the dishwasher was breaking and I started looking stuff up online.

My dishwasher is just peachy but the greenies have done it again, as uncle has banned phosphate in dish detergents. Well color me in the dark on this one. Phosphate was the main cleaning ingredient in dish washing soap. They banned it from laundry detergents back in the 90's. I always thought it was my machine putting little holes in the clothes. Think again.

Now I'm all for keeping pollution down to as little impact on the environment as possible. BUT . . . why did they ban it when there is no substitute for it? I'm now using more energy and water to clean my dishes because now things will have to be wash and/or rewashed in vinegar/hot water/dish soap to try and get the film off. Hand washing uses more energy than a dish washer. And my time isn't worth shit to uncle so I won't even bother mentioning that.

Government, putting the cart before the horse . . . again.

Click to expand...

I'm sure if I read through this thread, someone will have already told you that only certain states ban phosphates (and for good reason). You may miss the phosphates in your laundry or dishwasher cycles, but what if you had no clean water? Which would you miss the most?

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